Footwear



Feb. 5, 1957 c, s, V055 2,780,013

FOOTWEAR Filed March 17, 1955 FIG.4

III!IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII 32 FIG.2 36

a INVENTOR.

Charles S .Voss

United States Patent FOOTWEAR Charles S. Voss, New York, N. Y.

Application March 17, 1955, Serial No. 494,894

3 Claims. (Cl. 36-25) The present invention relates to an article of footwear, in the nature of or as a substitute for, the conventional shoe or sandal.

Footwear, such as shoes or sandals, are worn primarily for the protection of the underside or walking surface of the foot from the discomfort and hazards of walking, such as bruising, cutting, contagion or the like. Heretofore, it has also been deemed desirable to confine the entire foot within the upper part of the shoe with a view of supporting the several jointed bones comprising the foot, in the belief that such support is essential for the health of the foot.

However, it will be realized that shoes or sandals having soles that extend the entire length of the foot and having uppers and confine the entire foot create walking conditions that are contrary to nature, which fashions the foot for free and untrammeled movement of its several jointed parts, and, even when the shoes are soft soled, create a strain on the foot muscles, particularly that part of the role which bridges the arch of the foot between the heel and the inner end of the metatarsals.

It is the object of the present invention to provide footwear that will overcome all of the foregoing shortcomings of the shoes or sandals of the prior art, and will provide ample protection for the walking surface of the underside of the foot that come in solid contact with the surface upon which it treads without in any way interfering with s the flexing of the foot at its several joints, and without causing any strain on the muscles of the foot during walking and will permit the free and untrammeled adjustment of the foot to the walking movements substantially as if in its natural, bare, condition.

It is another object of the present invention to provide footwear of the character described which will fit and be held snugly and securely on the foot, so that it will fit glove-like around the portions of the foot encompassed thereby without rendering the wearer unduly conscious of its presence to an extent of affecting his style or stance in walking, and which will remain safely and securely on the foot even during strenuous pedal activity.

It is also an object of the present invention to provide footwear of the character described which is of relatively simple construction; which is simple and easy to put on and take off; and which is economical to produce.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide footwear of the character described which is capable of decorative treatment in its construction and which has interchangeable parts that permit variability of combination, especially of color, in its use.

The foregoing and other advantages and superiorltles of the foot covering of the present invention will become more readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the embodiment thereof shown in the accompanying drawing and from the description following. It is to be understood, however, that such embodiment is shown by way of illustration only, to make the principles and practice of the invention more readily comprehensible, and without any intent of limiting the invention to the specific details therein shown.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a shoe assembly of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a section taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an elevational view of the shoe as worn on the foot viewed from the inner side of the foot, with the bones of the foot indicated in broken lines; and

Fig. 4 is a view similar to that of Fig. 3 as seen from the outside of the foot.

Referring now more specifically to the accompanying embodiment of the present invention, the article of footwear of the invention comprises a combination of two separated coordinating and cooperating members or parts; namely, a heel protecting part, generally designated as MB, and a forefoot protecting part, generally designated as 12.

The first, or heel protecting, part 10 comprises a single ply or built up, ground contacting heel element, 14, having a broad surface for contacting a walking surface and extending from a point back of the heel of the foot to a point short of the foreward part of the calcaneum. It further comprises a soft leather, heel-encompassing section, 16, including a bottom portion, 18, by which it is secured to the upper surface of the heel 14, if any desired manner, and which extends forwardly thereof, an upright wall, 24 adapted to extend along the sides of the heel and around the back thereof, and attaching straps, 22 and 24, extending upwardly, one at each forward end of the side wall 2%) in position to constrict the forward end of the side wall Zii, that extends forwardly of the heel 14 around the initial portion of the arch to snug the member 16 thereabout to prevent grit and moisture from entering between the bottom 18 and the underside of the foot. One of the straps, as 22, may be provided with a suitable buckle, as the tongue buckle, 26, that engages the opening 28, in the strap 24. If desired, a welting, 30, of tapering cross-section, may be provided around the bottom 18 to shape the interior of the member 20 to fit snugly around the heel of the foot.

The second or forefoot protecting member 12 of the footwear of the present invention comprises an outer ground-contacting sole element, 32, which may be made of leather, natural or synthetic, or rubber, of any kind conventionally used for the purpose. The outer sole 32 may be of generally conventional outline, tapering arcuately towards its forward end, and extends rearwardly under that part of the foot which actually strikes the ground when walking; namely, from a point slightly in advance of the tips of the toes to a point slightly to the rear of the metatarsal phalangeal joints. The member 12 also comprises an inner sole, 34, which is preferably formed of soft, pliable leather or leather substitute or other suitable material, which overlies the outer sole 32 and extends rearwardly thereof to a point approximately midway between the metatarsal phalangeal joints and the base of the metatarsus.

The member 12 further comprises an attaching or securing element, 36, which is preferably also formed of soft, pliable leather or the like and consists of a central portion, 38, the forward part of which is held between the inner and outer soles 32 and 34, respectively, and the rear portion of which extends beyond the inner sole 34 to a point adjacent the end of the metatarsus, or substantially coextensive with the inner sole 34. The attaching element 36 is provided with lateral extensions, 46 and 42, which are adapted to lie along the sides of the foot, whose inner edges are preferably continuous with the inner edge of the attaching center portion 38 thereof, and which are of sufiicient width to extend rearwardly so that they encompass the widening inner portion of the foot arch. The extensions 40 and 42 are of suflicient width so that each of them may terminate in preferably dual or forked straps, 44 and 46, arranged to be foldable high on the instep. One of the sets of straps, as 44, may be provided with tongue buckles, 48, and the other of the sets of straps, as 46, may be provided with the appropriate cooperating holes, 50. By distributing the attaching pressure over the relatively wide area encompassed by the dual straps 44 and 46 over the instep of the foot, the forward shoe part 12 may be held against the sole of the foot, at its rear, without any undue pressure exerted on any part of the instep.

The inner portion of the outer sole is preferably slightly tapered, and the securing member 36 conforms with such taper and is so shaped as to hug the foot at its inner edge, at the point where the arch commences to prevent the accession of moisture and grit between the inner sole and the bottom of the foot.

If desired, a tapered, resilient pad, 52, as of foam rubber, may be interposed between the inner sole 34 and attaching element 36, at the rear of the inner sole in the center thereof, so as to fit within the concavity generally found on the underside of the foot at that point.

Means may be provided at the forward end of the member 12 for engaging such forward end of the member to the foot to keep it snugly against the underside thereof. Such member may comprise a loop, 54, preferably made of leather, opposite the position of the big toe. The loop may be secured in place by passing its ends under the inner sole through suitable slots, 56, formed therein, and engaging such ends between the inner and outer soles 32 and 34.

This completes the description of the article of footwear 0f the present invention. It will be readily apparent that such article of footwear, while it amply protects the Walking surfaces of the foot against injury or parasitic infection, nevertheless affords the foot a maximum of freedom of movement by leaving all joints of the foot unconfined and free to flex in a manner natural while walking, eliminating any inhibiting strains or stresses upon the muscles functioning at such joints, to thereby eliminate distortion of the foot, unnatural posture and walking fatigue to the maximum possible extent consistent with the simultaneous protection of the walking surfaces of the foot.

It will also be apparent that the article of footwear of the present invention is of simplified construction and may be economically produced; that it may be easily and conveniently put on and taken off; and that it is ca pable of ornamental use and varying the combination of front and rear members from different sets.

It will be further apparent that numerous variations and modifications in the footwear of the present invention may readily be made by anyone skilled in the art in accordance with the principles of the invention hereinabove set forth and without the exercise of any inventive ingenuity. I desire, therefore, to be protected for any and all such variations and modifications that may be made Within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the claims hereto appended.

What I claim is:

1. An article of footwear comprising, in combination, a heel protecting member, including a heel element and upper comprising a bottom portion secured to the upper surface of said element and upright side and rear portions connected to said bottom portion, said bottom and side portions extending forwardly of said heel element and said side portions each having a strap member extending upwardly from its forward end, said straps having means for interengaging one another over the foot, and a forefoot protecting member comprising an outer sole extending from approximately the tip of the toes of the foot to a point slightly to the rear of the metatarsal phallangeal joints of the foot, an inner sole overlying said outer sole and extending rearwardly thereof to a point approximately midway between the metatarsal phalangeal joints and the base of the metatarsus of the foot, and an attaching element of a soft, pliable material, comprising a central portion partly interposed intermediate said inner and outer soles and substantially co-extensive rearwardly with said inner sole, and lateral extensions of said central portion, each terminating in strap means at their inner ends arranged to meet high on the instep, said straps having cooperating interengaging means, and a toe-engaging loop formed on the upper surface at the forward end of said forefoot covering member.

2. The article of claim 1, wherein said lateral extensions of said attaching member each terminates in forked straps.

,3. The article of claim 1, wherein said inner sole tapers at its inner end and wherein the extensions of said attaching member are formed to conform to said taper and to snug the underside of the foot when said straps are interengaged over the instep thereof.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

